![Maple Leafs Sign Elite Defenseman Darren Raddysh to Eight-Year Contract]](https://i2.wp.com/deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/2113bbc5-c78b-45be-ac83-bc688b7363c9.jpeg?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1 "Maple Leafs Sign Elite Defenseman Darren Raddysh to Eight-Year Contract]")
The death toll from the collapse of an unfinished hotel near Manila rose to four on Monday, with at least 17 individuals still missing, according to authorities.
Two workers were rescued alive from the rubble after the nine-story structure collapsed on Sunday, striking a nearby hotel and killing a Malaysian guest. However, two other trapped workers later died despite rescue efforts.
“The first individual rescued alive later succumbed, as doctors were unable to revive him,” said regional fire bureau spokeswoman Maria Leah Sajili. “The second worker suffered a cardiac arrest around 3:00 a.m. while still pinned beneath debris.”
Another body was recovered on Monday, though its identity remained unknown. With lingering uncertainty, officials maintained that approximately 17 people, primarily construction workers who were on-site, were still unaccounted for.
Lea Casilao, the girlfriend of a missing worker, traveled from Manila to Angeles with supplies, unaware of the pre-dawn disaster. “It’s very difficult; it is breaking my heart to wait for something uncertain,” the 47-year-old said, tearfully describing her night spent alone at a local government building.
Lacking Safety Gear
Stephanie Batar and her mother learned of the accident via social media and have been unable to contact Batar’s 64-year-old father, who had recently begun work on a six-month contract. “I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t stand. It’s very painful and we did not know what to do,” Stephanie recounted.
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation. Regional labor director Geraldine Panlilio confirmed the project had been briefly shut down in September 2024 for occupational safety violations, including a lack of hard hats, boots, safety harnesses, poor lighting, and missing signage. Construction resumed a month later after the contractor complied with corrective measures.
Officials estimated up to 70 people were employed at the site, though most had left for the weekend. Survivor Alfredo Albis, 55, was asleep in a nearby workers’ barracks when the structure gave way. “I have two cousins who are still trapped there… there’s a possibility that my relatives are dead,” he said.
Sajili noted the delicate nature of the rescue, stating that sudden movements by rescuers could destabilize debris and crush anyone trapped below. If no further survivors are detected with thermal scanners, heavy machinery will be deployed to clear rubble and recover bodies, though no timeline was provided.
